Worsley Park Marriott Hotel and Country Club, Manchester

...staying there again. The Marriott Worsley Park and Country Club is one I've stayed at for both business and pleasure and I recommend it highly.

The listing in ciao says this is a 3 star hotel but this is incorrect - it's most definitely a 4 star.

Last February, my husband and I booked a weekend deal through one of Marriott's ads in the national press. I think we paid about £29.99 pppn and stayed for two nights (i.e. ...
...consider a weekend at the Worsley Park.

1. The hotel is very nice - a mix of posh plush and country-style old England - excellent public rooms, beautiful guest rooms, fantastic gym and swimming pool, 18 hole golf course, spa facilities and beautiful grounds
2. Location - just off the M60 but a million miles from the Coronation Street image of the North West
3. Great value - if you can get one of the Marriott's special ... more

It's relatively rare that I stay in a hotel for business and am so impressed that I want to go back and spend my own time and money staying there again. The Marriott Worsley Park and Country Club is one I've stayed at for both business and pleasure and I recommend it highly.

The listing in ciao says this is a 3 star hotel but this is incorrect - it's most definitely a 4 star.

Last February, my husband and I booked a weekend deal through one of Marriott's ads in the national press. I think we paid about £29.99 pppn and stayed for two nights (i.e. a shade under £120 for room and giant breakfasts). Also staying at the hotel that weekend were Portsmouth football team who were playing at Man Utd on the Saturday.

We both loved the hotel and would go back in a flash. We visited the Lowry Centre, Trafford Centre and hung out with old friends in the area before taking a detour off to Cheshire Oaks outlet centre in Ellesmere Port. Did some great retail therapy, ate out more than we should have and had a lot of fun.

So maybe your idea of fun isn't a weekend in Manchester in February - but please open your mind and think again. There are a lot of good reasons to consider a weekend at the Worsley Park.

1. The hotel is very nice - a mix of posh plush and country-style old England - excellent public rooms, beautiful guest rooms, fantastic gym and swimming pool, 18 hole golf course, spa facilities and beautiful grounds
2. Location - just off the M60 but a million miles from the Coronation Street image of the North West
3. Great value - if you can get one of the Marriott's special deals of which there are many
4. Handy for some of the northwest's best attractions - Trafford Centre is on the doorstep, Old Trafford for cricket or football, right side of town for the Lowry Centre and the War Museum, not too bad for Manchester's tourist spots like the Science Museum, theatres, etc.
5. Star spotting - it's a favourite with the teams visiting Man Utd because of the fabulous gym and spa facilities.

Where is it?
Worsley is north of the Manchester Ship Canal on the NW side of Manchester but outside the M60 ring-road. For my money, it's the nicest part of north Manchester and it used to be one of the areas inhabited by the local football stars before they all moved down to Prestbury. As a student, I knew Worsley as where Eric Cantona lived - although that might have been Boothtown just down the road.

How do you find the hotel?
If you are heading north, Leave the M60 at Junction 13, take the 2nd exit off the roundabout and go about a mile along the A575. The entrance is on the left and I miss it every time.
If you arrive at dusk, try not to be freaked out by the silhouette metal golfers scattered alongside the road as you sweep up the impressive driveway to the hotel. There's lots of free parking and you can drop your bags off right outside before you go looking for a space. Because the health club is very popular, you can struggle to get a space at busy times

What's the hotel like?
As you enter, the reception is on the right-hand side. The vestibule has a lovely stone floor with lots of comfy seating and newspapers to read. Check in should be no problem and then you are off to your room. Ours was along a balcony with security doors to prevent access to anyone without a room on that section.

The rooms
There are 158 rooms and they are not all the same - which is refreshing. The one we stayed in this time was large and decorated in light shades. The soft furnishings were all in good condition. We had a sloping roof to one side with a view out over the car park. The room was very quiet.
The bed was comfortable and there was a good sized desk and comfy chairs as well as plenty of cupboard and drawer space. Irons and trouserpresses are handy if you need them but weren't a priority for us. Ditto hair dryers. There was plenty of tea and coffee and tasty biscuits and a mini-bar which we didn't use and so can't comment on. I don't remember much about the bathroom other than a very powerful shower and some very pleasant toiletries. To be fair, I only tend to remember bathrooms if they are bad. Cable/Satellite TV is supplied with lots of stations although as a terrestrial TV only person at home, I could not really comment on how good the selection was.

The Health Centre
The Health centre is impressive - it has dozens of steppers, treadmills, static bikes etc. You shouldn't have to fight for space. There are also lots of free weights if that's your preference. The pool is a good 20m length and there are jacuzzi and steam room facilities as well. There's a dance studio and a programme of exercise classes is available. Unfortunately the blurb in our rooms said the HC was open until 11pm but it actually closed at 10 pm so turning up at 9.30 meant we couldn't really have a good bash at the facilities. There's a sports bar downstairs in the gym building and the corridor as you walk between the hotel and the gym is full of framed football shirts and other sporting memorabilia.

Eating and Drinking
We had only booked B&B and were happy to eat out because we know the area well so this meant we only ate in the breakfast room. This was busy and crowded but the selection of both hot and cold food was impressive. There are two restaurants - one formal, one more of a brasserie - and two bars - one in the main hotel and the other in the health centre.

Would I recommend it?
Absolutely - so long as you don't need a place that's in the centre of Manchester or handy for the airport, this is a great choice especially if you can get it on one of the Marriotts cut price deals. If you are a golfer married to a non-golfer, it's also a good choice as there are lots of attractions for the non-player in the area.
For business, this is a great choice if you are visiting any of the businesses in Trafford Park.
 

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